Watch: Win Win Win emerges from Kentucky Derby workers' traffic jam

During a hectic 15 minutes Sunday morning at Churchill Downs, six colts put in their final workouts toward Kentucky Derby 2019, and there’s a big takeaway for handicappers to consider.

Did Win Win Win already fire his best shot?

You don’t often see it, with four horses hooking up through the turn in a session exclusive to Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders. But a race before the race formed while, as the Bill Mott-trained Country House breezed inside of Tacitus, Win Win Win ranged up wide outside of his workmate.

After allowing the Mott duo to go by, the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) runner-up Win Win Win put in a strong late kick to sweep past them before the wire. Win Win Win clocked a half mile in 47.60 seconds, while Country House and Tacitus completed 5/8 in a minute flat.

“We generally would see something like that happen occasionally when they don’t have a (designated) 15-minute break just for Derby and Oaks horses," Mott said. "I thought about that (beforehand) because I knew there would be some other workers. You just can’t really anticipate it. My team was ready to break off and they probably didn’t know we were going to work.

"All the riders did a really good job and I really have to commend all of them. It’s not going to hurt them and they better get used to (traffic) if they’re not already or they’ll get a surprise on Derby Day. It’s pretty crowded out there. 

[A 30-1 Longshot You Don't Want To Leave Off Your Tickets]

With Win Win Win’s workmate out of the picture, the Derby trio ran evenly through the turn after the wire.

“I just like to see that fight,” clocker/analyst Brandon Stauble said of Win Win Win, “and then you can see again on the gallop out, they’re on even terms. But watch Win Win Win grab the bit again and kind of re-engage the team and say, like, ‘Hey, you’re not going to get in front of me.’

“I like to see that kind of stuff. It shows me that this horse wants to compete. This is a horse I might move up a little bit as far as my gimmicks go.”

“That was a little different, but it worked out well,” added Win Win Win's jockey, Julian Pimentel. “He went about his business and he wanted to go get them.”

“Straight as an arrow — nothing really to knock,” Stauble said.

Behind him, Improbable broke off a little more than a length back of a stablemate. He doesn’t usually go in company for trainer Bob Baffert and had blinkers off after adding the equipment for a runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (G1).

The son of City Zip was ready to go on with jockey Florent Geroux taking a tight hold until the chestnut edged ahead at the wire.

“Florent did a great job getting Improbable to relax in the lane,” Stauble said after the Baffert trainee completed five furlongs in 1:00.60 ahead of Grade 1-stakes placed 4-year-old filly Emboldened.

Rounding out action during the Derby training window was By My Standards, the so-called buzz horse given how easy he has gone through breezes since winning the Louisiana Derby (G2).

That trend continued Sunday with four furlongs in 48.40 seconds. Stauble noted a “big gallop out” from the colt by first-crop sire Goldencents as By My Standards continued on past the wire in 1:00.60, 1:12.80 and 1:26.60.

“The push this horse gets from behind may be what can help this horse overcome some distance limitations,” Stauble said.